Low Temperature Processing of Si-Based Dielectric Thin Films

Abstract

Low temperature processing of dielectric thin films is critical to realize high performance TFTs, solar cells, and sensors integrated on glass or plastic substrates. The plasma based deposition techniques have successfully met the dielectric performance requirements at process temperatures above 300 °C. However, the dielectric quality and reliability degrade severely at lower process temperatures indicating that the substrate surface reaction kinetics strongly dictate the thin film growth and properties. In the present work, we report on the low temperature processing (100-300 °C) of Si-based dielectric films by high-density PECVD technique which offers significant process and thin film property control. The microstructure and optical properties of the thin films, and the bulk and interfacial electrical quality and reliability of the MIS capacitors and TFTs as a function of process temperature are discussed in this report. The observed thin film and device performances at a low processing temperature of 100 °C show promise for low temperature electronic applications.